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Transformation Garden - July 9, 2016

2016Jul 09

COMMENTS

July 9

Today’s Text and Thought of Encouragement:

Personalization of 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17

“Be not afraid or dismayed at this great (problem, illness, challenge, loss); for the battle is not yours, but God’s…You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord who is with you, (your name here). Fear not nor be dismayed.”

“O troubled soul, beneath the rod,
Thy Father speaks, be still, be still,
Learn to be silent unto God,
And let Him mould thee to His will.

O anxious soul, lay down thy load,
Oh, hear His voice, He speaks to thee,
‘Be still and know that I am God,
And cast thy every care on Me.’

O fearful soul, be still, be still,
Be of good cheer; has He not said,
‘I will be with you, fear no ill,
‘Tis I, ‘tis I, be not afraid.’?

O praying soul, be still, be still,
He cannot break His plighted word;
Sink down into His blessed will,
And wait in patience on the Lord.

O waiting soul, be still, be strong,
And though He tarry, trust and wait;
Doubt not, He will not wait too long,
Fear not, He will not come too late.

“Forasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him (Daniel) and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.”

Daniel 6:22, 23
K.J.V.

EXPLORATION

“Earthly Power Versus Heavenly Purpose “ Part 35

“He Trusted In His God” Part D

“Foundations to be reliable must always be unshakable.”

Hannah Whitall SmithThe God of Comfort
1906

What does the phrase “he believed in his God” mean to me?

How has my personal belief in God made a difference in my life?

“You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.”

C. S. Lewis
1961

INSPIRATION

“Man lost life by unbelief – by not believing God’s word; and we get life back again by believing – by taking God at His word.”

D. L. MoodyThe Way to God
1884

King Darius was overjoyed. Not only was his deeply admired friend and confidant, Daniel, alive – he was also very well. After spending a night confined in a den with vicious lions, Daniel didn’t have a scratch on his body. Not a single mark!

Daniel 6: 23 states that the king was “exceeding glad” for Daniel. I love the way the Hebrew translation of these words gives us a more expansive view. The meaning of “exceeding glad” is: “a mightily magnified rejoicing.” If I were to get a picture of this scene in my head, there would be lots of shouting and jumping up and down. The great Bible commentator Matthew Henry describes the episode in this way: “Darius was now animated by this miracle wrought for Daniel.” Henry points out that before God and the Medo-Persian king, Daniel had done no wrong. As Henry writes: “God takes care of His faithful worshippers, especially when He calls them out to suffer for Him. He keeps their souls from sin; comforts their souls with His peace, and receives their souls to Himself, He does in ‘stop the lions’ mouths,’ that they cannot hurt Daniel…God had therein pleaded Daniel’s cause. Daniel was represented to the king as disaffected to him and his government. We do not find that Daniel said anything in his own vindication, but left it to God to clear up his integrity as the light; and God did it effectually, by working a miracle for Daniel’s preservation.”

Daniel’s unyielding allegiance to his Father in heaven stands as a witness to God’s children down through time. In the words of the Psalmist, David, “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in Thee; let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on Thee be ashamed” (Psalm 25: 1-3, K.J.V.).

In his summary of the scene outside the den of lions, Matthew Henry notes: “Those who boldly and cheerfully trust in God to protect in the way of their duty shall never be made ashamed of their confidence in Him, but shall always find Him a present help.”

One of my favorite Psalms is a song written by the Sons of Korah found in Psalm 46:

“God is our Refuge and Strength mighty and impenetrable to temptation, a very present and well-proved help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas. Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah, pause and calmly, think of that! (Psalm 46: 1-3, Amplified Bible).

May the words of W. I. Watkinson be an encouragement to you today…no matter how dark the den…how long the night and how vicious the lions. “Hell does its worst with the saints. The rarest souls have been tested with high pressure and temperatures, but heaven will not desert them.”

“In God will I put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.”

Psalm 56:11
K.J.V.

By Thy Life I Live

“Thou, Lord, alone art all Thy children need,
And there is none beside;
From Thee the streams of blessedness proceed;
In Thee the blest abide,
Fountain of life, and all-abounding grace,
Our source, our center, and our dwelling place!”

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